How many men go on mushroom forays in their free time? How many men went to grad school and spent countless hours in a lab working on anti-tumor drugs to fight cancer? How many men put in the time to find the perfect girlfriend for their guinea pig so that their furry friend won’t be lonely? Mr. Will Robertson, the new Upper School Physics and Chemistry teacher has done all of the above.
Born and raised in Denver, Colo., Mr. Robertson attended the University of Colorado-Boulder and loves the outdoors. In his free time, Mr. Robertson enjoys hiking and going on mushroom forays with his wife, Casey. They will research the different types beforehand, and sometimes cook the mushrooms they pick together.
After leaving the University of Colorado, Robertson attended the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, Calif., where he received his masters in Chemistry. Though he loved focusing on his love for science in California, Mr. Robertson said that he preferred Colorado because he is “more of a mountain person than a beach person.”
After finishing grad school, he became a high school science teacher at Commonwealth Academy in Alexandria, Va., where he met his wife, a middle school science teacher at the time. His wife now works nearby at the Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington teaching IB Environmental Science, as well as AP and General Biology. He also said his wife’s new job at Holy Cross introduced him to the Catholic school system, which contributed to his decision to apply to Stone Ridge.
Mr. Robertson began his career at Stone Ridge by teaching a six week summer Chemistry Program that gave him a feel for the school and the girls.
“Stone Ridge is amazing, my students are amazing,” said Mr. Robertson, “they are so smart, so motivated, so respectful.”
He also said that the science department is amazing and his students have made him feel welcome. When asked about his teaching style, Mr. Robertson said that he is “energetic, always doing something.”
In addition, he has a unique approach to homework. Mr. Robertson said, “I always give [my students] homework, but I always give them time to do it in class. Homework is important because it gives them a way to practice what they’ve learned, but if there’s nobody there to help them, then it is no good…I want to be there to help them.”
A fun fact about Mr. Robertson is his love for animals. He currently has a two and a half year old dog named Wunjo, the old German name for “joy.” Wunjo is half German Shepherd and half Australian Shepherd. In addition, he has two guinea pigs, Chunk and Clarice.
“I was at petco one day,” said Robertson. “And they were like ‘hey this guinea pig is kind of old…we might have to put him down because nobody is buying him.’ And so I was like, ‘I’ll buy him! I’ll buy him right now!’” After taking home his first guinea pig, he and his wife decided they needed another because they read online that guinea pigs do not like to be alone. As a result, they “found him a girlfriend through the Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue”, a shelter that can pair guinea pigs and find them a mate.
Mr. Robertson can easily be spotted walking down the halls of the Upper School with a big smile on his face and a brightly colored bow tie. He said that he wears bow ties as a tribute to his father, who died of cancer in 2008, in addition to the practicality of a bow tie for a science teacher who is constantly working in the lab. “It’s the science guy look”, he exclaimed! “I was a little bit worried about meshing at first, but we’re doing really great and I am so happy to be here!”